And Now…A Sneak Peak of What’s in Store for BeHealthful This Summer.

Now that you’ve seen the recap from my recent BeHealthful Retreat, I’m delighted to say that there are some exciting new paths that my retreat series will be embarking on (including good news for brides), and I’ll be sure to share them with you first! Until then, I was asked by Borrowed & Blue, the online resource for planning Chicago weddings, to be interviewed for their readership and I’m giving a sneak peak of what’s in store for BeHealthful for the rest of the year. It’s fun to answer interview questions through my own platform and hopefully some of you that are new to Balanced Babe can get to know more about me and my work through this interview too. Here’s a quick note from B&B before we get started. Read on and enjoy!

“I came across the Balanced Babe when I was looking for awesome Chicago blogs to follow. As a plant-based nutritionist and life coach, Sarah is all about helping her readers to consider wellness as a whole body experience; what you eat, how you exercise, and how you feel are all a part of the process. Borrowed & Blue readers will love her holistic (and realistic) approach to getting healthy and her Windy City savvy. It was so exciting to sit down with Sarah and get the low-down on her wellness journey, her favorite spots in Chicago, and her tips for how to feel awesome about your body on your wedding day. Check it out!”

– Helen, Borrowed & Blue’s Chicago Market Specialist

Here’s my Q&A with Borrowed & Blue:

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Some of us are new to your blog; share with us in a nutshell what BalancedBabe.com is all about.

Balanced Babe is a platform that provides modern and approachable guides to balanced living. Our readers are savvy trendsetters who want to be healthy, but aren’t into extreme diets or restrictive methods for losing weight. Most of my content is presented in a short and sweet format to give readers valuable information that they can utilize immediately after reading! From my plant based recipes to botanical DIY remedies, I’m all about incorporating plant-y ingredients into my life with ease and of course, making it fun!

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What five objects do you never leave the house without?

1: My new Lindy Heart aura cleanser spray (travel size). She’s a local Chicago energy healer and I purchased a travel size for my trip to Asia. I spray it every time I leave the house. It’s scent is light so that you can spray it whenever you want. I also on occasion like to give myself a quick spritz before meetings so that I’m energized and it contributes to my overall excitement and positive vibes going forward.

2: A homemade blend of cashew milk in my Vitamix container. I’m absolutely obsessed with making my own cashew milk and carry it around with me in a little flexible lunch box when I’m on the go. The healthy fats in my recipe keep me full in between meals and it’s slightly sweet flavor satisfies any sorts of cravings I may come across during the day. You can find my recipe here.

3: My journal. I always come up with my best ideas when I’m walking around the city or driving from place to place. I write down new ideas and concepts in my journal almost daily along with notes from meetings. It’s always in my bag!

4: A little jar of coconut oil that I infuse with Calendula flowers. I’m always washing my hands so they get dry a lot.

5: Snacks..because when I’m hungry on the go and there’s nothing healthy nearby, I can get “hangry”.

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You’re a plant-based nutritionist and holistic life coach. How did you get started on your wellness journey?

My first career as a high fashion model for 13 years is what lead to me where I am currently in my life. I’ve always had an interest in nutrition and holistic health and once I realized that I wanted to empower women to love their bodies vs. feeling insecure from seeing photo shopped images in magazines, I decided to get my certifications and change courses. I talk about my journey in a podcast (here) and in my background story. I’m also in the process of writing my first book that talks about my journey to becoming a Balanced Babe!

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What is one piece of advice you’d give to a person who would like to develop some fitness goals before his or her wedding?

Start adding more plants to your diet. It can be as simple as drinking a morning green juice or smoothie instead of eggs and bacon, to adding a big salad to your dinner. Little steps over time can achieve big results and there’s never any negative studies that talk about adding more greens to your life!

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What is one way that you create balance in your life that you think would be helpful to share with others?

By simplifying and decluttering. I’m embarking on a huge shift in my own life to simplify all areas of my life. I wrote about my recent epiphany and why I’m starting this new lifestyle change here. There will be a series to come on actionable tips to simplifying your personal life and career in the next coming weeks. I believe simplifying can bring much needed balance in a chaotic life.

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For our friends who are getting married soon, do you have any tips on how to manage stress in the months before a wedding?

Try 5 minutes of kundalini breathing exercises. You can learn more about it here. I am also a recent devotee to yoga and take hot yoga at least 4 times a week, this can really take the load off and help you sweat out toxins. Just make sure you hydrate before and after so that you don’t get dehydrated!

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In addition to being a health expert, you’re also a Chicago local! Describe your dream day in the Windy City.

A typical weekend day can look like: taking a hot yoga class at Yoga Six, picking up a healthy lunch from Snap Kitchen, walking along the lake and strategizing for clients in my journal in Millenium park, then meeting friends for happy hour at one of many Chicago rooftop restaurants! Oh and also indulging in an organic facial from Biolife Organic Spa in Lincoln park!

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If you were planning a bachelorette party in Chicago, what would be on the itinerary?

Now that I’m offering private “retreats” via our local retreat series, BeHealthful, I would of course have my bridal party experience BeHealthful at a fabulous hotel like Four Seasons (where we held our last retreat) and pack the day with fun activities from my BeHealthful vendors. We’d start the weekend with yoga, mini beauty services, and fun workshops for all the girls. After getting our hair and makeup done, we would of course have to go out on the town. My new favorite place to have fun at night is West Loop, there are so many incredible restaurants there!

The following day I’d plan another BeHealthful experience geared towards “detoxing”, since I would assume we’d have a late night out on the town. I’d have more of our spa vendors come in for mini hangover cures like hydrating facials, light therapy, and reflexology for all. We’d then do some more rejuvenating detox yoga and enjoy a fabulous healthy spread from one of our local food vendors who provides specialized plant based detoxing meals. Oh and of course we’d experience a fun DIY botanical workshop as well..and we may or may not have “healthy” Bloody Mary’s to go along with it.

We already have some BeHealthful Bachelorette parties happening this Summer which I’m SO excited for! Our new revamped site is almost complete, but if you’d like to experience a private BeHealthful Retreat experience for you and your gal pals, I can send allll the details if you shoot me an email at: Sarah@BalancedBabe.com 🙂

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What is your favorite Chicago neighborhood and why?

Streeterville! I used to live on the border of Gold Coast and Streeterville two blocks east of the John Hancock and I absolutely loved it. It’s a bit more residential so there’s not a lot of tourists walking around, but your literally two blocks away from Michigan Ave in the heart of the city. You can walk anywhere and you’re in the middle of all the action. I loved the block I lived on since it was quiet at night, so I had the best of both worlds.

I’ve always lived in Chicago but I travel a lot. So far I’ve noticed that we Chicagoan’s are the nicest!

So, if you’re a bride to be or know a bride, I hope my simple tips help you glow for your big day and that you get inspired to plan a fun health themed bachelorette party (maybe after your fun night out, of course). And, if you’re planning your wedding, check out Borrowed & Blue, your guide to finding Chicago wedding venues and more!